Lilian's Tree

 1.30AM, WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOP, THEN EVACUATE NOW, EVACUATE NOW! Is NOT how one wishes to be woken from a deep sleep. Down three flights of stairs and joined everyone out the front, admiring the variety of 'evening wear.'  It wasn't that cold and it wasn't raining, so not to bad to be outside at that time.  (it seems it could have been one of two things, someone smoking in their room or going out the fire door, either way the $1600 fine, from the Fire Brigade would hurt.) Day Two dawned bright and sunny and this was the main day. Six scheduled talks followed, by the Conference Dinner.  After a welcome from the Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Tania Brown and the Association President, Gail Hanger, the John Vincent Crowe Address was delivered by Dr Richard Reid, Patron of the Illawarra Family History Group Inc. Dr Reid's address was title Fairy Meadow So Far Away: Tales of Lost Illawarra, continuing with the conference theme, They Came from Where? He spoke of his arrival in t...

 Having woken on Thursday morning to more heavy ran, I was not looking forward to my drive, down, either Bulli Pass or Mount Ousley, to Fairy Meadow. By noon the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to shine, by 2.00pm we had blue sky and when I picked up two friends, I opted for the most scenic route, down the escarpment; Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the spectacular  Sea Cliff Bridge.   For more information about the wonderful feat of engineering, see this link;  Sea Cliff Bridge   Friday dawned with blue sky and we adjourned to the Fraternity Club for the first day of the conference, hosted by Illawarra Family History Group Inc.  This was their open day and I was thrilled to see so many non-conference attendees, (those of us with lanyards) there.  The Society had organised four speakers, for the day along with an array of exhibitors. It was wonderful to see so many friends and receive hugs.  The theme for the conference was They Came From...